The U.S. economy had a strong spring with job growth, even after April and May figures were revised downward.

But, while employers did add jobs again in June, it wasn’t quite what experts were expecting.

U.S. employers added a lower-than-expected 57,000 positions last month, according to the latest statistics released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Read Full Article

Microsoft cutting 4,800 Jobs Amid AI Push

Integrating AI into operational costs is getting expensive for tech companies, and it’s starting to cost jobs.

Microsoft will cut some 2.1% of its workforce — roughly 4,800 jobs – bringing to bear the latest in a wave of tech layoffs as the Windows maker spends heavily on AI infrastructure and uses the technology to improve efficiency across its business, according to a report from Reuters. Read Full Article

Volkswagen Cutting Models, Production Capacity

Volkswagen AC is eyeing what experts expect to be a far-reaching overhaul and, toward that end, the automaker said Thursday it would “drastically pare back” both its model lineup and production capacity.0

Europe’s top carmaker said the model lineup would be gradually cut by up to half and concentrated on the most attractive market segments, adding that production capacity would be reduced further to 9 million vehicles per year, according to a report from Reuters. Read Full Article

Starbucks Baristas Could Profit From TikTok Content

Starbucks customers may have seen baristas filming while making their drinks and wondered what was going on.

While the Seattle-based coffeemaker’s employees have long posted social media content, they may now have a chance to benefit directly from content production. Read Full Article

GM Safety Advances Protecting Families in Summer Driving Season

As summer driving ramps up across the country, so do the risks on the road. The stretch between Memorial Day and Labor Day is often referred to as the “100 deadliest days,” especially for teen drivers, making this an important moment to look at how General Motors’ safety culture comes to life in the vehicles families drive today. Read Full Article

Statistics released this week by the Commerce Department confirmed what many were thinking: High gas prices helped push inflation to a four-year high last month.

With high gas prices doing the heavy lifting, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index, rose to 4.1% in May, according to multiple media outlets. That was up from 3.8% in April, although, on a monthly basis, it was unchanged at 0.4%. Read Full Article

Manufacturing Boosts Rise in Business Activity

For anyone looking for good business news, here is some: U.S. business activity expanded at the fastest pace in five months.

The rise was bolstered by a surge in demand for manufactured goods. Bloomberg reported that the S&P Global flash composite purchasing managers index rose to 52.2 in June, according to data released Tuesday. Figures above 50 indicate expansion.

The group’s manufacturing gauge rose to 55.7, the highest since May 2022, as factories ramped up production to meet the strongest new orders growth in more than four years. Read Full Article

Apple raises prices of MacBooks, iPads

Apple raised prices on its iPad and MacBook prices on Thursday and blamed the increased on increasing memory and storage chip costs officials say are being driven by the AI industry’s data center build out.

The move does not affect the iPhone. But it would take starting price of the Neo – its lowest priced laptop aimed at winning market share from affordable Windows and Chromebook laptops – from $599 to $699 months after launch. Read Full Article

Ford Tops J.D. Power Initial Quality Study

Ford is the new gold standard for mass market new vehicle quality in America, ranking as the top mainstream brand in the closely watched JD Power 2026 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS) — an achievement 16 years in the making.

The company surpassed the industry’s traditional mass market leaders in IQS, climbing from No. 15 in 2023 to No. 1 among mainstream brands in the annual survey of new buyers. Read Full Article

Chevrolet Reintroduces ‘Heartbeat of America’ Campaign

DETROIT – Chevrolet has reintroduced “Heartbeat of America,” a classic advertising campaign from the 1980s and 90s.

Reimagined with the sounds of The Red Clay Strays, a rock band from Mobile, Ala., the campaign takes a modern creative approach while still reminiscent of the original version sung by a beloved Motown artist from Detroit. The song incorporates the real heartbeat sounds of Americans across the country in Texas, Detroit and Kansas as a way to celebrate those who represent the heartbeat of America, and are making an impact in their own communities. Read Full Article

Corp! Magazine’s May-June issue honors West Michigan’s Best & Brightest businesses and offers a glimpse at how they got there. The issue also announced Women Thrive winners, described the great development projects making Grand Rapids a top-developing city and showed how the region is preparing to host the 2027 NCAA Final Four.

Corp! Magazine has made it easier to read our bi-monthly publication with a convenient digital flip book.

• Cover Story: West Michigan’s top businesses offer avenue to success.

• Development: Investment in Grand Rapids makes it a top fast-developing city.

• Human Resources: Strategic AI use with human guardrails a necessity for recruiter success.

• Economy: After successful NFL Draft, Detroit readies to host NCAA Final Four.

Of course, there’s more, and it’s all available by clicking here.

There’s a new Federal Reserve Chair, but the result of the Fed’s latest meeting didn’t change.

The Fed board voted Wednesday to leave interest rates where they are.

In Kevin Warsh’s first meeting since replacing Jerome Powell, the Federal Open Market Committee voted unanimously to keep its benchmark overnight borrowing rate in a range of 3.5%-3.75%. That’s where it’s been since the Fed lowered rates by three-quarters of a percentage point late last year. Read Full Article

Consumer Spending Had a Good May as Potential Slowdown Looms

U.S. retail sales had a better month in May than experts expected. But those same experts are saying it may not last long.

According to a report from Reuters, a slowdown is likely “as the cushion from larger tax refunds against higher prices diminishes.”

The Commerce Department’s Census Bureau released Wednesday, retail sales jumped 0.9% last month after a downwardly revised 0.4% uptick in April. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales, which are mostly goods and are not adjusted for inflation, rising 0.5% after a previously reported 0.5% increase in April. Read Full Article

Fox, Roku Reach $22 Billion Deal

Fox Corp., looking to pair its sports and news programming with a top-tier streaming service, announced on Monday that it’s buying Roku.

Fox figures the cash-and-stock deal, worth some $22 billion, will help the company take advantage as audiences more and more shift their attention to online viewing.

According to a report from Reuters, the deal gives Fox access to the more than 100 million households using Roku’s streaming platform. Read Full Article

LongRange Capital to Acquire Most Pizza Huts

STAMFORD, Conn. – LongRange Capital, a private equity firm with a customer-centric and operationally-oriented approach to building and growing businesses, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Pizza Hut, excluding Mainland China, from Yum! Brands, Inc. Read Full Article

Reagan Airport Shutting Down for the 4th of July

Travelers headed to Washington DC around the Fourth of July holiday better check to see what’s open.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport will close beginning at noon on July 4 because of events celebrating the U.S. 250^th anniversary. Scheduled events in the capital region include a military flyover, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said Tuesday. Read Full Article

Homeland Security chief Markwayne Mullin told members of Congress Customs & Border Patrol is “good to go” whenever trade talks between the U.S. and Canada are completed.

Opening of the newly constructed bridge linking Detroit and Ontario would enhance trade and travel. Read Full Article

Canada Wants 16-Year Renewal of USMCA

While U.S. President Donald Trump is still calling for Canada to be the 51^st state, Canadian officials want the free trade agreement the two countries signed with Mexico to be renewed for another 16 years.

According to The Associated Press, Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s minister for U.S. trade, sent a letter Tuesday to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Mexico’s Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard informing them of the request. Read Full Article

Trade Chief: U.S. Will Uphold Tariff Caps in Deals With EU, Japan

The United States plans to respect tariff caps in trade deals struck with the European Union, Japan and other countries, and planned U.S. tariffs over forced labor provide the legal basis to do so, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Thursday.

“We understand that a deal is a deal,” Greer told reporters on the sidelines of an OECD ministerial meeting in Paris, according to a report from Reuters. Read Full Article

Weekly Jobless Claims Higher Than Expected

The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits increased more than expected last week, but the underlying trend remained consistent with a stable labor market.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose to 225,000 for the week ended May 30, according to statistics released Thursday. Labor Department said on Thursday. That’s some 12,000 more than economists polled by Reuters had forecast. The four-week moving average of claims increased only 6,500 to 214,750. Read Full Article

Trump Wants $700 Million to Help Coal Industry

President Donald Trump said he’s planning to use a 76-year-old law to direct funding to the U.S. coal industry.

Trump on Thursday announced he’ll use the Defense Production Act, a 1950 law to direct almost $700 million to help the coal industry ship the fuel to Asia, and power companies to burn it domestically. Read Full Article

Ford Wins 5 Inaugural U.S. News Best Adventure Vehicles Awards

Ford earned five category wins in the first-ever U.S. News & World Report 2026 Best Adventure Vehicles awards, the automaker announced in a press release posted to its website.

Designed to help shoppers find capable and practical vehicles for outdoor travel, the awards program evaluated 148 models based on off-road metrics, camping utility, and overall vehicle quality. Read Full Article

Shaking off concerns over rising prices and rising inflation, consumers showed enough interest in various retailers to help boost their stock value,

Shares of retailers including the likes of Kohl’s, Best Buy Co. and Dollar Tree Inc. rose on Thursday amid optimism that shoppers are still spending when they see what they want at the right price. Read Full Article

Canada’s Carney Calls For a ‘New Partnership’ With U.S.

While President Donald Trump’s trade war and insistence that Canada become the 51^st U.S. state have strained relations between the two countries, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is calling for a “new partnership” between them.

In a speech he made Thursday in New York, saying such a deal would “help make America great again.” Read Full Article

Forecast Predicts Continued Rise in Grocery Prices

While Americans are paying more at the gas pump, their food may also be taking a bigger slice of their budgetary pie.

According to a report from Bloomberg, factors including bad weather, tariffs and a dwindling cattle herd are already pushing up grocery prices at an above-average pace. In April, for instance, they rose by the most in nearly four years, the outlet reported. Economists say the impact of the Iran war and a potential El Niño weather pattern will only add to pressures into 2027. Read Full Article

Commerce Department Revises First-Quarter GDP Growth Downward

The economy didn’t fare as well as first thought in the first three months of 2026.

According to a report from Reuters, U.S. economic growth was not a strong as initially thought in the first quarter and – with the war with Iran raising inflation — momentum is set to slow this quarter. Read Full Article

American Airlines to Install Starlink

FORT WORTH, Texas — American Airlines announced a sweeping modernization of its narrowbody inflight customer experience with the installation of Starlink on more than 500 narrowbody aircraft beginning in 2027.

Airline officials said in a release that Starlink is “widely regarded as the world’s most advanced satellite constellation” using a low Earth orbit to deliver broadband internet capable of supporting inflight streaming, online gaming, collaborative meeting tools and more. With thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit, Starlink can deliver multigigabit connectivity to aircraft using its Aero Terminal, which can support up to 1 Gbps per antenna. Read Full Article

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division announced the publication of a technical amendment to restore the applicable regulations governing the exemption of executive, administrative, and professional employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Read Full Article

Consumer Confidence in Economy Nears 4-Year Low

Republicans from President Donald Trump on down are selling the U.S. economy as strong and vibrant headed into the November midterm elections.

But if a recent Gallup poll is any true indication, Americans may not be buying it. Read Full Article

Memorial Day Drivers Expected to Pay $4.48 a Gallon

If projections are true and a record number of Americans hit the road for Memorial Day weekend, it’s going to be an expensive one.

Drivers will pay an average of $1.34 more per gallon at the pump compared to a year ago, according to as report from Axios. Read Full Article

Report: Cost Spikes Expected to Cause Millions to lose ACA Coverage

A report released Tuesday by KFF, a health policy research organization, shows the affordability crisis is about to get worse for many people whose health insurance comes from the Affordable Care Act.

KFF’s analysis projects that higher premiums will cause millions more people to lose insurance this year, according to a report from The Washington Post. Read Full Article

Child Advocacy Groups Want Gaming Platform Roblox Investigated

Millions of kids are using the widely popular gaming platform Roblox every day.

Now, child safety advocates are saying the game could be bad for kids.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Fairplay and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation have requested the Federal Trade Commission to investigate if the games on Roblox are designed to make kids spend an unhealthy amount of time and money on their screens. Read Full Article

The war with Iran continues to wreak havoc on the U.S. inflation rate and with energy prices not only here, but around the world.

Statistics released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows U.S. inflation jumped to 3.8% in April over the last year. It’s the highest jump since 2023. Read Full Article

Trump Considering Suspending Federal Gas Tax

If President Donald Trump can get Congress to agree with him, Americans may see some relief in gas prices, though it’s uncertain when, for how long or how much relief.

Trump said earlier this week he’s planning on reducing the federal gas tax – currently set at 18 cents – as fuel prices continue to rise amid the Iran war. Read Full Article

U.S. Adds 115,000 Jobs; Unemployment Rate Holds

The U.S. job market had an unexpectedly solid month in April.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. economy added 115,000 jobs last month, and the unemployment rate – 4.3 percent – stayed right where it was. The results fueled speculation that the Federal Reserve will leave interest rates alone when next they meet. Read Full Article

Fueled By War’s Impact, Retail Sales Show April Rise

In a scene from “The West Wing,” the cast discussed the meaning of the saying, “post hoc ergo procter hoc” (which is Latin for “after this, therefore because of this”).

It is pointed out in the scene that the saying is hardly ever true. But it may apply in the case of the U.S. economy. Read Full Article

In Focusing On AI, Cisco to Cut Some 4,000 Jobs

Cisco announced Wednesday it would cut nearly 4,000 jobs as part of a restructuring aimed at shifting investment toward artificial intelligence and related growth areas, and raised its annual revenue forecast after a surge in hyperscaler orders.

Shares of the San Jose, California-based networking equipment maker rose 15% in extended trading, according to a report from Reuters. Read Full Article

The U.S. economy hit a slight jump-start as 2026 began.

According to numbers released Thursday by the Commerce Department, the economy expanded at a 2% pace from January through March. While the acceleration comes after recovering from last fall’s 43-day federal government shutdown, the Iran war is still casting something of a pall over the figures. Read Full Article

Divided Fed Board Holds Steady on Interest Rates

For the third straight time, Federal Reserve officials decided to leave interest rates right where they are, though a rift in its governing board appears to be widening.

In holding rates steady – at a range of 3.5% to 3.75% — the Fed signaled a concern over rising inflation amid rising energy costs that polling shows have Americans less optimistic about the economy. Read Full Article

GM Investing $830 Million in Three U.S. Plants

General Motors is investing a combined $830 million to strengthen three key propulsion sites across its U.S. manufacturing footprint. The announcement brings GM’s investments in domestic manufacturing to more than $6 billion in the past 12 months. Read Full Article

Still No Deal to Open Gordie Howe Bridge

Pete Hoekstra is confident a deal will be worked out to get the new Gordie Howe International Bridge open. He just isn’t sure when.

Hoekstra, the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, said Tuesday the Trump administration hasn’t come to an agreement yet with the Canadian government regarding the opening of the bridge, but told Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Republican House Speaker Matt Hall that the issue “will get worked out.” Read Full Article

Barbecue Chain Smokey Bones Closes All U.S. Outlets

Diners looking to enjoy some barbecue now have one less place to find it.

American barbecue chain Smokey Bones announced it was closing all of its U.S. locations, effective April 27, according to a report from USA Today. The move comes after Smokey Bones’ parent company, FAT Brands Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January. Read Full Article

The war in Iran apparently produced some unexected results last month.

With the war producing a hike in oil prices that translated into higher gas prices, U.S. retail sales increased more than expected in March and led to a record surge in receipts at service stations, while tax refunds underpinned spending elsewhere, according to a report from Reuters. Read Full Article

Cook Steps Aside, Ternus Takes Lead at Apple

CUPERTINO, CALIF. – Apple announced that Tim Cook will become executive chairman of Apple’s board of directors and John Ternus, senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, will become Apple’s next chief executive officer effective on Sept. 1.

The transition, which was approved unanimously by the Board of Directors, follows a thoughtful, long-term succession planning process. Read Full Article

Microsoft Planning 1st Voluntary Employee Buyout

For the first time in company history, Microsoft is planning to offer a voluntary employee buyout.

CNBC was first to report the plan, citing a memo it obtained.

Like other U.S. tech giants, Microsoft has been spending aggressively on artificial intelligence. However, adoption of one of its flagship AI services, the 365 Copilot, has reached just slightly over 3% of its total 450 million 365 customers. Read Full Article

Shareholders OK Warner Bros. Merger With Paramount

Shareholders of Warner Bros Discovery voted “overwhelmingly” to approve the company’s $110 billion merger with Paramount Skydance, the parent company of CBS News, on Thursday, though they were far less enthusiastic about a proposed compensation packages for the company’s leaders.

They voted against those proposed packages, including a $550 million payout to the outgoing chief executive, David Zaslav, The Guardian reported. Read Full Article

United Airlines Eyes Higher Ticket Prices to Offset Fuel Costs

Travelers using United Airlines can likely expect higher ticket prices soon.

CEO Scott Kirby said ticket prices may need to rise by as much as 15% to 20% to offset a surge in jet fuel costs, signaling a significant test of consumers’ willingness to absorb higher fares as the industry grapples with volatile oil prices. Read Full Article

SEATTLE & COVINGTON, La. (Business Wire) — Amazon.com, Inc. and Globalstar, Inc. announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Amazon will acquire Globalstar, enabling Amazon Leo to add direct-to-device services to its low Earth orbit satellite network and extend cellular coverage to customers beyond the reach of terrestrial networks. Read Full Article

Spirit Airlines Faces Possible Liquidation

Spirit Aviation Holdings, the parent of Spirit Airlines, risks liquidation as rising jet fuel prices due to the Middle East war could further strain the bankrupt carrier’s finances, according to a report from Bloomberg News on Wednesday.

The decision on potential liquidation could come as soon as this week, according to Bloomberg, which cited people familiar with the issue saying the situation remains fluid as Spirit holds talks with its creditors. Read Full Article

First-Time Unemployment Claims Take a Dip

With the war in Iran looming over the U.S. economy, the labor market appears to remain fairly stable.

New applications for U.S. unemployment benefits fell last week. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped to a seasonally adjusted 207,000 – a drop of 11,000 — for the week ended April 11, according to statistics released by the Labor Department Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 215,000 claims for the latest week. Read Full Article

NPR Gets Millions in Donations From Two Donors

NPR may have had its federal funding stripped in President Donald Trump’s war against public media, but that didn’t stop a pair of donors from injecting millions of dollars into the public broadcast network.

NPR announced it has received a $113 million windfall on Thursday from two charitable donors, including billionaire philanthropist Connie Ballmer, The Washington Post reported. Read Full Article

7-Eleven Closing Hundreds of Locations

Patrons at hundreds of 7-Eleven stores around the country are going to have to find ways to replace their Big Gulps.

Seven & I Holdings, the parent company of 7-Eleven, announced that a total of 645 locations are set to close across North America this fiscal year. Read Full Article

Corp! Magazine dives down on “phygital” shopping, an increasingly popular kind of retail activity that combines shopping at a physical store with finding what you’re looking for online. We also explore the success of Grand Rapids-based The Right Place, one of the country’s top economic development organizations, take a look at how small businesses are being impacted by the performance of the dollar, and more.

Corp! Magazine has made it easier to read our bi-monthly publication with a convenient digital flip book.

• Cover Story: Integrating is the phygital future of retail commerce.

• Development: From humble beginnings, The Right Place built a development dynamo.

• Human Resources: Foundation marks three decades of helping automotive women.

• Finance: American businesses not yet feeling the impact of the dollar.

Anyone wondering what effect the war with Iran is having on the U.S. economy got their answer this week.

Sparked by a record increase in gas prices as the cost of oil soars, the U.S. inflation rate climbed to its highest rate in two years. Read Full Article

Experts Say Gas Prices Likely to Stay High Despite Ceasefire

President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire in the war with Iran this week. But Americans who thought that would immediately lower gas prices are likely in for some disappointment.

Market experts believe U.S. consumers will continue to pay high prices to fill up their vehicles or purchase airplane tickets through the peak summer travel season. Read Full Article

USPS Seeks First-Class Stamp Rate Hike

U.S. Postmaster General David Steiner said last month the U.S. Postal Service could run out of cash as early as October.

The USPS indicated at least one way it plans to try to avoid that: Raising postal prices. Read Full Article

Amazon, USPS Reach Deal on Deliveries

Amazon and the U.S. Postal Service have reached an agreement that will enable the USPS to retain the majority of business from its biggest customer.

Multiple outlets are reporting the deal leaves the USPS with some 80% of Amazon’s package delivery business.

Amazon had earlier been said to be considering a two-thirds reduction. Read Full Article

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, continuing to resist the immense pressure being put on him by President Donald Trump to lower interest rates, said the Fed is in a position to “wait and see” how the war in Iran affects the economy and the inflation rate before making such decisions.

Powell said Monday that policymakers typically look through shocks such as those from higher oil prices, according to report from Reuters. Read Full Article

Retail Sales Strong in February; Gas Prices Surging

U.S. retail sales were higher than they’ve been in seven months, auto sales saw a rebound and even the weather was improved in February.

And although experts note that gas prices are escalating because of the war in Iran, the Commerce Department report released Wednesday – it was delayed by the government shutdown – indicated the U.S. economy was fairly stable as the war began. Read Full Article

Surging Oil Prices Putting a Dent in Consumer Sentiment

With the war in the Middle East continuing to force oil prices up and creating havoc in the financial market. U.S. consumer sentiment has dropped to its lowest level in three months.

A survey released last week by the University of Michigan showed consumers are concerned about the prospects for the American economy in the wake of the war. Read Full Article

Gas Prices Surge Past $4 Per Gallon as War Continues

The war with Iran is wreaking havoc on drivers all over the world.

For the first time in more than three years, the average price of a gallon of gas rose above $4 per gallon on Monday. It’s the sharpest monthly rise in decades, according to data collected by price tracking service GasBuddy, as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran roiled global energy markets. Read Full Article

Unilever, McCormick Deal Creates $65 Billion Food Company

Unilever said on Tuesday it will merge its food business with spice maker McCormick in the second-largest food transaction in history, a deal that will create a company worth roughly $65 billion.

Unilever announced the deal in a press release posted to the company’s website. The transaction will be structured as a so-called Reverse Morris Trust, which offers tax benefits. Unilever will spin off the food division and then merge it with the Cholula hot sauce owner. Read Full Article

The U.S. Postal Service filed notice this week with the Postal Regulatory Commission regarding a time-limited price change to better align its costs of transportation with the market. Read Full Article

First-Time Unemployment Claims Rise Slightly in ‘Stable’ Labor Market

The U.S. labor market appears to remain fairly stable, which could be a factor in what the Federal Reserve decides to do about interest rates.

First-time applications for U.S. unemployment benefits rose slightly last week, according to figures released by the U.S. Labor Department. The report, released Thursday, also showed the number of people collecting unemployment checks in mid-March was the lowest in nearly two years. Read Full Article

Shareholders Set to Vote on $110 Billion Warner Bros-Paramount Merger

The merger between Warner Bros Discovery and Paramount appears to be all over but the voting.

Warner Bros Discovery said Thursday shareholders will vote on its planned $110 billion merger with Paramount Skydance on April 23. The vote brings the companies a step closer to completing the deal that would reshape the media landscape. Read Full Article

Mars Spending $100 Million to Expand Headquarters, Add 600 Jobs

Candy giant Mars Snacking is investing $100 million to expand its Chicago headquarters, adding two new offices and more than 600 jobs, the company announced Wednesday.

The Chicago Tribune reported that, with incentives created by Illinois tax credits, Mars Snacking is opening a new regional office in Fulton Market and taking over the former Kellanova headquarters in River North as a new hub for its Accelerator Division, growing its corporate footprint beyond its Goose Island campus. Read Full Article

Chevrolet Debuts 2027 Corvette Grand Sport, Grand Sport X

DETROIT — Chevrolet is reviving one of Corvette’s most storied racing names with the 2027 Corvette Grand Sport, and creating new legacy with the Grand Sport X.

Both vehicles blend heritage-inspired design with a next-generation V8 engine that produces more torque than any other naturally aspirated V8 before it, Chevy officials noted in a release posted to the carmaker’s website. The duo delivers a modern take on Grand Sport’s traditional role as a sweet-spot in the lineup, blending visceral V8 performance, distinctive style and everyday drivability. Read Full Article

The Federal Reserve Wednesday decided to hold interest rates right where they are.

And, despite nearly constant pressure from President Donald Trump, the Fed also indicated the cut he wants to badly is only likely to happen once this year.

The Fed held interest rates steady while projecting higher inflation, continuing unemployment and only a single rate cut for the year. All of that comes with escalating oil prices and the cost of the war in Iran. Read Full Article

Postal Service Could Be Broke By October

The head of the U.S. Postal Service says the USPS is going to need some more money before the end of the year if the agency continues to make required retirement and other payments to the government. Read Full Article

With Fuel Costs Spiking, Airlines Hiking Prices

Cars and trucks aren’t the only vehicles feeling the pinch at the pump as the war in Iran drags on.

The Los Angeles Times reported that jet fuel prices have also shot up, and that experts are saying airfares are following suit.

With a busy summer travel season approaching, airlines are starting to pass the costs on to passengers through higher fares and fees, the Times reported. Read Full Article

Unemployment Claims Take an Unexpected Dip

The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits took an unexpected dip last week, pointing to stable labor market conditions and a potential rebound in job growth in March. Read Full Article

Uber, Rivian Partner to Deploy Up To 50,000 Fully Autonomous Robotaxis

SAN FRANCISCO & IRVINE, Calif. – Rivian Automotive, Inc. and Uber Technologies, Inc. announced a partnership to help accelerate both companies’ autonomous vehicle plans, expecting to deploy 10,000 fully autonomous R2 robotaxis in the first phase of R2 robotaxi deployment.

Initial deployments are expected to begin in San Francisco and Miami in 2028 and will expand to 25 cities by 2031. Read Full Article

U.S. consumers paid more for rent, gasoline and items at the supermarket in February, and it isn’t likely to stop there.

With the war in the Middle East escalating, observers think higher costs are in store.

According to a report from Reuters, the Consumer Price Index report issued by the Labor Department on Wednesday, which also showed underlying inflation muted last month, covered the period before the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran. Read Full Article

Low Layoffs, Middle East War Could Impact Fed Decisions

Despite the fact the Labor Department reported last week the U.S. economy lost 96,000 jobs last month, the number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell last week.

That statistics would seem to indicate some stability in the labor market, though the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran poses a downside risk. Read Full Article

Target Lowering Prices on 3,000 Products Headed into Spring

MINNEAPOLIS (PRNewswire) – Target Corporation is lowering prices on more than 3,000 on-trend items across its apparel and home assortment, baby essentials and select food and beverages as guests get ready for spring. Read Full Article

McDonald’s Expected to Introduce $3 Extra-Value Items

McDonald’s is expected to introduce menu items priced at $3 or less, along with $4 breakfast meal deals in the U.S., starting in April.

The Wall Street Journal reported the story on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the discussions. Read Full Article